compressor stations and health risks · pdf filefor today: basics of how a compressor station...
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Compressor stations and Compressor stations and health riskshealth risks
Curtis Nordgaard, MD MScPediatrician
Dorchester MA
There are known knowns...
There are known unknowns...
There are unknown unknowns...
- Donald Rumsfeld
For today:
Basics of how a compressor station works
What pollution comes out of a compressor station?
What are the health risks?
Access Northeast: Expanding the Algonquin Pipeline
Proposed Rehoboth compressor station site
Spectra Energy Partners (Dec 2015). Access Northeast Project, Resource Report 10. Fig 10.9-1, Rehoboth Compressor Station Site (PDF pg 311).
A Solar Taurus compressor
Compressor stations
Compressor stations
Typical compressor station equipment
Compressor engine & turbine
Dehydrator, separator
Condensate storage tank
Gas heater & cooler
Backup generator
Pipeyard
How does a compressor station generate pollution?
Burn gas in compressor
Vent gas (blowdown, shut down, emergency venting)
Leak gas under high pressure system
Vent condensate from tanks
Noise
For today:
Basics of how a compressor station works
What pollution comes out of a compressor station?
What are the health risks?
What comes out of compressor stations?
Definitely
Noise
Nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (formaldehyde, benzene, etc)
Radon
Likely or possible
Mercury, radioactive lead, chromium, PCBs
Secondary formation
Ozone, particulate matter
Nitrogen oxidesParticulate matterCarbon monoxideVolatile organic compoundsHazardous air pollutants
MethaneVOCsHAPs
RadonLeadMercuryChromium
ToxicCancer causing
ToxicCancer causing
ToxicCancer causing
NoisePollution
Air pollution
Pollutants from burning
Released pollutants
Non-combustible
Compressor station noise: Neighbors' anecdotes
It tends to vent at night
It rattled the dishes in the cupboards
It sounds like a jet engine
One venting event lasted several hours and sounded like a loud jet engine several miles away
Compressor station noise
Rhode Island Department of Health, Energy Facility Siting Board Advisory Opinion, Clear River Energy Center. Sept 12, 2016. P 14.
Compressor station noise
Noise analyses will be in Resource Report 9 of the Access Northeast FERC docket
The background data are prepared by Spectra's consultants*
There are state noise regulations
State noise regulations apply before & after construction
* See Itai Vardi, Twitter & DeSmog Blog
What are VOCs?
Volatile: Airborn
Organic: Carbon based
Compounds: Molecules
Examples:
Methane, ethane, methanol, ethanol, naphthalene, benzene, formaldehyde
Trans-4-methyl-2-pentene
Nitrogen dioxide
ToxicNO
2 + VOC = Ozone, smog
Particulate matter
Organic compounds, metals, ionsDelivery system to the lungsToxic
Estimating Rehoboth station air pollution
Weymouth
Compressor Taurus 60
Horsepower 7,700
Pollution analyses Complete
Air pollution from the Rehoboth compressor station will likely be equal to or greater than
pollution from the Weymouth compressor station
Rehoboth
Taurus 70
10,915
Pending
Burning gas: Toxic air emissions
Spectra Energy Partners (Oct 2015). Atlantic Bridge Project, Resource Report 9. Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC Weymouth Compressor Station Permit Application pg 3-13 (PDF pg 602).
Burning gas: Toxic air emissions
Spectra Energy Partners (Oct 2015). Atlantic Bridge Project, Resource Report 9. Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC Weymouth Compressor Station Permit Application pg 3-13 (PDF pg 602).
Health outcomes associated with pollutants
Nitrogen dioxide: Increased respiratory hospitalizations (2%) 1, heart failure (1.7%) 2
Carbon monoxide: Increased premature birth rates (4%) 3, low birth weight (7%) 3
Particulate matter: Increased fatality from heart and lung disease (5.3%) 4, new childhood asthma diagnoses (10-12%) 5
1. Huang G, et al. (2015). Spat Spatiotemporal Epidemiol, v14-15, 63-74.2. Shah AS, et al. (2013). Lancet, v382,1039-48.3. Stieb DM, et al. (2012). Environ Res, v117, 100-11.4. Samoli E, et al. (2014). Environ Int, v67, 54-61.5. Wendt JK, et al. (2014). Environ Res, v131, 50-8.
Compressor station: tank emissions
Spectra Energy Partners, ibid. (PDF pg 744).
What's in vented gas? Clues from New Bedford
http://www.rtknet.org/db/brs/brs.php?reptype=f&epa_id=MAR000009993&reporting_year=2007&database=brs&detail=3&datype=T
Heavy metals and healthLead
“Behavior and learning problems, lower IQ and hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems, anemia”
Mercury
”Tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes (such as weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching), headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses”
Chromium“Shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing” “Abdominal pain, vomiting, and hemorrhage”“May result in complications during pregnancy and childbirth”“Inhaled chromium is a human carcinogen, resulting in an increased
risk of lung cancer”Source: www.epa.gov
Heavy metals in gas
- Gas flowing through Rehoboth reaches New Bedford
- The gas was processed in New Bedford and produced hazardous waste that included lead, mercury, and chromium
- Despite their importance for human health, these pollutants were not reported in or analyzed for the two most recent Algonquin expansions
Hazardous air pollutants from
burning gas
1578 lbs formaldehyde/year X
50% catalytic efficiency =
789 lbs/year
Spectra Energy Partners, ibid. Table B1Ai. (PDF pg 736).
Formaldehyde: Compressor station vs
fracked gas power plant
Weymouth compressor station: 789 lb/yr, at 60 ft stack height
1000MW Fracked gas power plant: 1450 lb/yr, at 200 ft stack height
Invenergy Thermal Development Co. (Oct 2015). Clear River Energy Center, Rhode Island Facility Siting Board Application, pg 33, Table 6.1-2.
For today:
Basics of how a compressor station works
What pollution comes out of a compressor station?
What are the health risks?
Assessing health risks: Types of data
Public health/epidemiology
<<Not available>>
Surveys
Symptoms
Pollution
Change in pollutant concentration
Self-reported symptoms near compressor station
Health surveys of 35 residents within ~1 mile of new compressor station (12,000 hp)
Symptoms:
Respiratory & nosebleeds: 22 of 35
Headaches: 12 of 35
Rash: 10 of 35
Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project (2015). Summary of Minisink monitoring results. http://www.environmentalhealthproject.org/resources/presentations/
How air pollution disperses
How air pollution disperses
-US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/-EPA IRIS database
Compressor station formaldehyde:
Toxic & Cancer causing
Carcinogen: 0.08 mcg/m3
Toxicity: 10-49 mcg/m3
Toxicity symptoms: Nasal & eye irritation; neurologic effects; Increased asthma, allergies, & eczema; decreased lung function
Formaldehyde concentration near compressor stations
Macey et al. (2014) Environmental Health, v13, 82
PA-4259: 6200 hp Teel Compressor station
Measured Formaldehyde:
at 790m - 61 mcg/m3
Carcinogen: 0.08 mcg/m3
Toxicity: 10-49 mcg/m3
762X Carcinogen threshold1.25-6X Toxicity threshold
~790m radius from proposed site
Particulate matter near a compressor station
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/BrooklynTownship/BrooklynTwnsp_pm2-5_HC_Final_04-22-2016_508.pdf
24-hour particulate matter near station
Regional PM2.5 monitor: 12.3 µg/m3
Local PM2.5 testing: 19 µg/m3
Difference in 24-hr peaks: 6.7 µg/m3
Health outcomes:
~11% Increased risk of stroke1
~7% Increased likelihood of asthma diagnosis2
1. Wellenius, GA, et al. (2012). Arch Intern Med, v172(3): 229-234.2. Wendt JK, et al. (2014). Environ Res, v131, 50-58.
Annual particulate matter near a compressor station
Regional PM2.5 monitor: 10.8 µg/m3
Estimated local annual average: 15-16 µg/m3
EPA and World Health Organization standards:
12 & 10 µg/m3, resp
Health outcomes:
Mortality:
Lung cancer (3.8%), diabetes (6%), heart attack (2.7%), all non-accidental causes (1.1%)
Crouse, DL et al (2015). Env Health Persp, v123(11): 1180-1186.
For today:
Basics of how a compressor station works
What pollution comes out of a compressor station?
What are the health risks?
Safety?
TransCanada St Vincent Nat gas compressor stationMinnesota, Sept 5 2015
“Clean” fracked gas power plants?
Invenergy Thermal Development Co. (Oct 2015). Clear River Energy Center, Rhode Island Facility Siting Board Application.
Howarth RW (2014). Energy Sci Engineering, v2, 47-60.
Fracked gas: A “bridge”...to nowhere
Methane greenhouse effect
CO2
greenhouse effect
A few conclusions
Compressor stations - A health risk
Pollutants - hazardous air pollutants, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter
Associated illnesses - Cancer; respiratory, cardiac, & neurologic disease, birth outcomes
A few conclusions
Presence of risk is clear
Degree of risk is unclear
We can define what constitutes acceptable degree of risk
For more information:
Citizens Against the Rehoboth Compressor Station
Mass Health Care Providers Against Fracked Gas
- mhcpafg.wordpress.com (preliminary)
Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station